Celebrating Dennis Gittinger’s 50 Years of Teaching

It’s not common that someone stays in their job for 50 years, but one NVC faculty member has achieved that milestone – Dennis Gittinger. 

His golden anniversary was recently celebrated at the new Cedar Elm STEM Center with nearly 100 of his colleagues, friends and family. Alamo Colleges Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores and NVC Interim President Debi Gaitan also was present for the occasion to wish him congratulations. 

Even more special, his former student travelled from Houston to give a speech at the event: 

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Paul Hamilton and I attended Northwest Vista college from 2011 to 2013. I took classes with many of you. I drove in from Houston Texas this morning to speak on behalf of one specifically, but, really, for all of you. Deep breath. Debi said it best – he helped me learn to weave my way thru life. This is important for us – there’s a yearning inside me to return what you’ve given me. But I know I’ll never be able to. 

How best to offer a lifetime of praise and approbation in a short amount of time? Public profession was my best guess. So hold on tight. 

I met this man at one of my lowest points. 

Sparing some details, I was a 17 year old living alone with a GED. I had fled my family home. I was lost. 

My late father’s wisdom became more useful than ever at this challenging time. 

I remembered a time my father showed us the difference between using our bodies to earn money, versus using our minds. We had worked all day in the yard and he gave us $10 after dinner. We were a bit let down but happy to get the money. Then he asked us each a math question that was appropriate for our varied ages. After each of us answered correctly he gave each of us $50 extra. He was wise, just like Dennis. 

So even though I didn’t have a plan, I was in community college trying to find a way to make money using my mind. 

My dad was silly & light hearted too, like Dennis. He had harmless quips and jokes that he’d wield around to make life just a little brighter for the folks around him. 

He also knew how to say the things that needed to be said, right when they needed to be said – regardless of how uncomfortable it may be – just like Dennis. 

I found a friend and mentor in Dennis at this rough time in life & held onto the encouragement he offered me like a prized possession. He made me FEEL that I could achieve something, that I could become something. 

Really, he helped me see my innate ability – the accidents of birth that culminated into who I am. Although our conversations then mostly centered around math, his gentle way helped me relearn to trust & to be vulnerable. He never told me ‘you’re wrong,’ he would say something like “I see what you’re trying to do there, have you considered this?”

Saying ‘I don’t know how to do something’ is a gut shot to the ego of most people, but it’s really one of the greatest tools available to someone seeking to learn. I’d been shot down by other teachers, other professors, and family, by showing my ineptitude so I wasn’t quick to admit my lack of understanding.

Dennis helped me see the flaw in this, and it gave me the platform I’d stand on as I moved into higher order mathematics and engineering. I was much more tenacious while bugging Dr. Claudia and Her husband (Manuel) while in the MIM program. And the rest is history, really. I still bug people to this day because one really intelligent and impressive man was patient with a curious 17 year old that didn’t know a lick about matrices but wanted extra credit. Dennis was formed by the universe to create ripples in time and space. In this life, he took form as a teacher. Other stuff too, but my opinion is that he’s generally teaching the people in his sphere of influence. Not just math, or life lessons, but kindness and compassion. Really, that’s what I’ve received from him in the decade + that we’ve remained in contact since Algebra 1, forging a much closer friendship.

Dennis is without a doubt the most generous and compassionate person I have ever met. Anyone that has been in his sphere of influence is better for having been. He’s not perfect, none of us are. But he’s put in a lot of work to really beautify his time here on earth. And he’s done a damn good job in my opinion. Dennis, I love you & am so happy to have been in your class so long ago. Thanks for doing all that you do and for all the students that never asked for extra credit, or opened up to you about family problems, or what have you, for all the students that didn’t see the golden opportunity in front of them, or don’t understand what you ALL do as educators, I say THANK YOU.

You all are super heroes in my mind and generally go well beyond your job description because the goodness inside of you urges you to do so. Thank you ALL for doing what you do. Congratulations, G, on your 50th year of teaching. Here’s to 50 more.”

To see more photos, click here.